In 1972, Tulane began the landmark Bogalusa Heart Study which stands as the longest running biracial study of children, focused on identifying early contributors to coronary artery disease and hypertension. Today, Dr. Keith Ferdinand, Gerald S. Berenson Chair in Preventative Cardiology, works closely with racial and ethnic minorities to find answers to health inequities in the field of cardiology and cardiovascular disease.
Transforming Health in the Mississippi Delta Region
As a leading expert in issues of equity and health, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine Dean Thomas LaVeist is playing a key role in addressing alarmingly high rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths among African Americans. He was recently appointed co-chair of the Louisiana COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, which was created by Gov. John Bel Edwards to come up with a series of recommendations to address health inequities affecting communities that are most impacted by the coronavirus, to improve health outcomes and provide greater access to high-quality medical care.
Creating Health Equality
COVID-19 has brought to light the deep-seated reasons behind inequalities in the U.S. that lead African Americans to live sicker and die sooner than their peers. Living in one of COVID-19’s epicenters, in New Orleans, Tulane has a unique perspective from which to discuss this outbreak, what it means for African Americans, and what we should be doing now and in the future to address these issues and put an end to crippling inequities that have endured for generations. Join us in being part of a new tomorrow.